Safety railway switch



T. H. FOSDYCK SAFETY RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Dec. 6 1923- 5 SheetS-Shet l Nw, lL i924.

T.-H. FosDYcK SAFETY `RAKLWAY SWITCH Firea. Dea. 6, v1925 y s sheets-sheet 2 f 1,515,569 fr. H. FOSDYCK SAFETY RAILWAY SWITCH Filed Dec. 6 1923 a sheets-snee'. s

NOV. 117

manto/p Patented Nov. 11, 1924.

UNTED STAFF THOMAS H. FOSDYCK, 0F MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIG-NOB, OF ONE-HALF ABRAIVI GALBINSKY, OF MO'NRCVIA, CALFORNXA.

isiasea ice.

SAFETY RAILWAY SWITCH.

Applicationled December 6, 1923.

To all who/m, z may concern.'

Be it known that I, Tiroir-As H. FosDYcK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monrovia, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and `useful Improvements in Safety Railway Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description vof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of the present invention is to prevent the casualties attributable to an open switch and to provide for automatic closing of the switch by a train approaching the same from either direction.

The invention furthermore has for its object to provide signal means to direct attention of thel engineer or motorman to an open switch and in the event of the signal not being observed or heeded, to provide for the automatic closing of the switch by the train or car.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent and suggest themselves as the nature of the invention is understood.

While the drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that in adapting the same to meet different conditions and requirements, various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the nature of the invention.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the application:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a safety railway switch embodying the invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the parts on a larger scale,

Figure 3 is a side view of the switch,

Figure 4; is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2,

Figure 6 is a sectional detail view on the line 6-6 of Figure 2,

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional detail view on the line 7-7 of Figure 1, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the connections. v

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and designated in the several views of the drawings by like reference characters.

The main track is designated by the nuserial No. 678,916.

meral 1 and the siding or branch by the numeral 2.

track and, as shown, comprises a'plate or disk 6, a post 7 rising centrally from the The switch points 3 and 4f are i coupled by means of the usual tie bar 5. The switch stand is located at one side of the plate or disk and fast thereto, alever 8 mounted upon the upper portion of the post 7 and a standard 9 notched inits upper edge to receive the lever 8 andhold it in normal of the levers 11 is mounted upon a crank hanger 12 and a trip 13 is associated therewith to be actuated by the flange of a wheel of the engine or other rolling stock." The trip 13 is located adjacent a rail of the main track to be engaged by a flange of the car wheel. A short guard rail 14 is located opposite the trip 13. A guide 15 supports the outer end of the lever 11 adjacent the trip 13.

A semaphore or signal arm 16 is provided at each side of the switch to give warning from either approach.. A lever 17 pivoted to a standard 18 is pivotally connected to an upright 19 at the end of the lever 11. A link 2O connects the upright 19 with a rod 21 or like connection attached to and extending from the plate or disk 6. Suitable guides 22 direct the connections 21 and retain them in a given position. A standard 23 supports the semaphore or signal arm 16.

When the switch is closed, the semaphore arms 16 are disposed in horizontal position and the operating lever 8 is in engagement with the notch in the upper edge of the standard 9. l/Vhen the operating lever 8 is moved to open the switch the semaphore or llO observed or heeded, the trip 13 is depressed thereby operating the lever 11 and the plate connected thereto with the result that the switch is closed before the car or ltrain reaches the same, thereby preventing` a casualty. A guide 19 is, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, provided for the upright 19. This guide causes the upright to move in a vertical plane duringthe actuation of the mechanism to either close or open the switch with the result that the semaphore or signal arm 16 is positively operated and with the result that a positive forward thrust is imparted to the rod 21 when the mechanism is operated by a train to close the switch.

Whatis claimed is:

1. ln combination with a railway switch, means to manually operate the same including a turnable part, a train operated lever disposed transversely of the track, an npright at one end of said lever, a link connection between said upright and said turnable parts, a support, a signal member mounted by said support, and a lever mounted by said support to actnate said signal member and connected to said upright.

Y 2. A safety railway switch including" an operating lever, trip levers at each side of the switch, a trip associated with each trip lever, connect-ing means between the trip levers and the switch operating lever whereby all of the levers are operable in unison, signals, and connecting means between each of the trip leversy and a signal whereby the signals and switch are automatically operated by a train or car approachingthe switch in the event of the latter being ope-n.

3. In a railway switch, manually operated mea-ns to move the switch to open and close it and including a pivoted lever, a standard having a notch therein to receive the lever to latch the switch in a closed position, and levers arranged transversely of the track, adapted to be actuated by a train, and operatively connected with said operating means to close the switch it' open in advance of the train and move the lever into engagement with the notch.

1. In a railway switch, a turn table, connections between said turn table and the switch to open and close it, means to latch said switch in a closed position, rods pivotally secured` to the turn table and extended along' the track at each side of the switch, levers suit-ably ulcrumed, a link connecting,` each lever with one of the rods, and another lever extended under the track and transversely thereof and operatively connected with each first mentioned lever to actuate said rod and turn table to move the switch to a closed position when open.

In testimony whereof I. aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' THOMAS H. FOSDYCK.

Witnesses CHAs. D. GAYLORD,

A. GALBINSKY. 

